The much-loved Britain’s Got Talent made a triumphant return to our screens on Saturday, 22 February, launching a fresh series with the familiar face of Simon Cowell and fellow judges , Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli, and special guest KSI.
The inaugural episode of the new season was packed with unexpected delights and stellar performances, but Vinnie McKee stole the show with his extraordinary cover of The Proclaimers’ classic “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”
As the singer took to the stage, Simon inquired about his age, job, and where he was from. Upon learning of Vinnie’s Scottish heritage, Simon shared a personal revelation: “By the way, I am a quarter Scottish,” leading to an enthusiastic response from Vinnie, “Are you actually?!”
Simon humorously responded: “I am. So we are probably related somewhere.”
Simon Cowell made a rare admission on Britain’s Got Talent (Image: ITV)
Vinnie’s performance captivated everyone, leaving even Simon awestruck. The judge’s astonishment culminated in him hitting the golden buzzer for Vinnie, propelling the singer straight into the semi-finals, reports .
Post-performance, Simon joined Vinnie onstage, expressing his admiration: “I’m speechless, but you deserve this. That was incredible.” He gestured towards the elated audience, “Look at what you’ve done.”
Vinnie, who entertains at a holiday park, reflected on the life-changing moment of receiving Simon’s golden buzzer, describing his audition as “incredible” and sharing his lifelong aspiration to be a singer.
Speaking to The Scottish Sun, the 29-year-old exclaimed: “Everybody was on their feet, people were crying and cheering, and I just thought, ‘This is crazy’. It was incredible, my mum was in tears and kept saying ‘I can’t believe this’.”
Vinnie McKee impressed the judges on BGT (Image: ITV)
He also confided in the newspaper: “I’ve always wanted to be a singer. And to be honest I was ready to maybe stop dreaming about pursuing it. I thought I was getting too old and was convinced it was never going to happen.”
In that unforgettable episode, hosts Ant and Dec wielded their golden buzzer power after being blown away by comedian Will Burns’ act. Awarding an act with the golden buzzer means instant advancement to the live semi-finals.
During the auditions, each judge and the hosting duo Ant and Dec get one opportunity to use their golden buzzer.
Britain’s Got Talent airs on Saturdays at 7pm on ITV1